AAO Annual Meeting 2027Exhibitor guide: booth costs, dates and deadlines
- Event dates
- November 12–15, 2027
- Exhibit hall
- November 13–15, 2027
- Venue
- Venetian Expo, Las Vegas
4.9 client rating3,000+ exhibitors10,000+ booths builtSince 2015
Quick answers
AAO Annual Meeting 2027 in 30 seconds
The short version for exhibitors. Every figure has its source further down the page.
- When is AAO Annual Meeting 2027?
- November 12–15, 2027, at Venetian Expo, Las Vegas.
- When is the exhibit hall open?
- November 13–15, 2027.
- How big is AAO Annual Meeting?
- 16,085 total attendees, 490 exhibitors (2025 edition).
- What does booth space cost?
- $4,000 per 10×10, $8,000 per 10×20, 2026 prospectus, paid to the organizer.
- What does a 10×20 booth cost all-in?
- $7,500 – $15,000 for a Purple rental with design, graphics, lighting, install and dismantle. Space and show services are billed by the show.
- What is the next exhibitor deadline?
- Abstract submissions open for AAO 2027 Instruction Courses and Skills Transfer Labs: December 10, 2026.
Everything about AAO Annual Meeting 2027 in one place
AAO Annual Meeting 2027 fact sheet
| Official name | AAO 2027, the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology |
|---|---|
| Event dates | November 12–15, 2027 |
| Exhibit hall dates | November 13–15, 2027 source |
| Venue | Venetian Expo 201 Sands Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89169 |
| Organizer | American Academy of Ophthalmology |
| Size (2025) | 16,085 total attendees · 490 exhibitors source |
| Who attends | Ophthalmologists in retina, comprehensive, cataract and anterior segment, cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics and pediatrics, plus ophthalmic nurses, technicians and practice administrators |
| Booth space | $4,000 per 10×10, $8,000 per 10×20, 2026 prospectus source |
| Next deadline | Abstract submissions open for AAO 2027 Instruction Courses and Skills Transfer Labs: December 10, 2026 source |
| Nearest airport | Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) About two miles from the Las Vegas Strip, per the Academy's AAO 2027 page |
| Hotels | Expovision, the Academy's official hotel reservation provider for exhibitors Official hotel page → |
| Official website | aao.org |
Official AAO Annual Meeting resources
AAO Annual Meeting 2027 calendar
AAO Annual Meeting 2027 dates and deadlines
The dates the organizer has published, in order, each linked to the page that states it. The next one is highlighted.
- Abstract submissions open for AAO 2027 Instruction Courses and Skills Transfer LabsFaculty and presenters source
- Abstract submissions for AAO 2027 courses and labs closeFaculty and presenters source
- AAO 2027 opens with Subspecialty Day and the AAOE and AAOP programsAttendees source
- Expo opens on the first of three daysExhibitors and attendees source
- Final Expo day and last day of AAO 2027Exhibitors and attendees source
01 Purple at AAO Annual Meeting 2027
Las Vegas, November 2027: AAO booths built around live lasers and wet labs
We build AAO booths where a retina specialist can study the scan, a cataract surgeon can work an instrument at a wet lab station and a practice administrator can sit down over pricing. At the Venetian Expo all freight enters through the Koval Lane docks, and rigging and power belong to the venue.
- Expo Nov 13–15, 2027
- 490 exhibitors in 2025
- Venetian Expo, Las Vegas
What makes AAO Annual Meeting different, and how we build for it
AAO 2027 brings the Academy to the Venetian Expo in November, with Subspecialty Day opening the week and the Expo running Saturday to Monday.Space goes out in priority-point order, weighted by a relevance rating whose top tier, Category A, is kept for companies whose whole line is ophthalmic. The floor is unusually hands-on: lasers pass a Laser and Light Safety Working Group inspection before opening, wet labs are open to physicians only, and Innovation Hub kiosk holders each get a talk in the Showcase Theater. The AAOE Practice Management and AAOP Clinical Teams programs run the same four days, so the practice side of the buyer is in the building too.
Imaging they can read at full resolution, a laser or phaco platform they can try in a wet lab station, and a peer-level conversation about outcomes in their own subspecialty, from retina to glaucoma.
Throughput, EHR and billing detail, lease and service terms, and a seated table away from the demo line where a purchasing conversation for a whole practice can run its course.
Clear signs on which products are cleared in the United States and which are sold abroad, distributor contacts by region, and staff who can talk about markets from Brazil to Europe.
Your team in Las Vegas
Two shops, one project manager, every hall
We build in our own production shop in Fishkill, NY, and our Las Vegas hub, ship to the Venetian Expo, and install with our own project manager on the floor and vetted local labor. Predictable 30–45-day turnarounds, secure storage and pre-show QA.
Your team walks into a lit, stocked booth. You just show up.
Inside AAO Annual Meeting 2027
Rules that shape your booth
Every laser or hazardous light source is filed on the Laser and Light Safety Form and inspected by the Laser and Light Safety Working Group the evening before opening, fully running, under ANSI Z136.1 (2026 rules). We build beam termination and enclosures into the bay.
Products without FDA approval need the Non-FDA Approved Product Agreement, a visible status statement beside the product and on any graphic of it, objective wording only, and no sales to U.S. attendees (2026 rules). We print those lines into counters and graphics.
A demo with an injection, laser or instrument counts as a wet lab whether the target is tissue, silicone or fruit; it goes on the space application and admits physicians only, and tissue labs pay $300 for one to four stations or $425 for five or more (2026 rules). We build the stations and the badge check.
No linear booth rises past 8 feet or flies a sign, and anything taller than 4 feet sits at least 5 feet back from the front aisle; island signs top out at 25 feet branded, with unbranded truss allowed above (2026 rules). We draw to these heights before the island drawing filing.
Companies bound by the PhRMA and AdvaMed codes hand out patient or clinician education items only, so pens, notepads, desk calendars and mousepads are out; drawings need modest prizes any professional attendee can win, and cosmetic contact lenses are barred (2026 rules). We plan the booth's draw around demos instead.
Programs worth planning for
Turnkey kiosks for companies in business under five years whose product improves on what is already sold: $2,500 or $3,500 in 2026, with power, a table, two stools, a sign, three badges and one TED-style talk in the Showcase Theater.
Company-led, non-CME sessions run as part of the Expo, separate from the scientific program and neither broadcast nor recorded for the virtual meeting (2026). Innovation Hub kiosk holders each receive one talk here.
Walled meeting suites on the Expo floor, with a door, a company sign and five badges per 100 square feet; in 2026 they ran $6,855 for a 10×10 to $25,200 for a 20×30, with carpet and furniture extra.
New in 2026: with the Academy's advance approval, an exhibiting company may host a news conference in its own booth on Saturday or Sunday morning before the Expo opens.
AAO is the broadest U.S. ophthalmology floor, with 490 exhibiting companies in 2025; choose it over the ASCRS Annual Meeting when your line reaches retina, glaucoma and pediatric specialists as well as cataract and refractive surgeons. Compare every medical devices show we build for →
02 Booths & pricing for AAO Annual Meeting 2027
Popular booth sizes at AAO Annual Meeting
The Academy sells linear booths in 10×10, 10×20 and 10×30 steps and islands by the square foot, plus enclosed business suites from 10×10 to 20×30 and Innovation Hub kiosks for young companies. For a single diagnostic line, a 10×20 linear does the job; we suggest a 20×30 island once a laser or surgical platform needs its own demo bay.
One imaging or diagnostic device on a counter at seated-exam height, a monitor for scans on the back wall above 4 feet, and status signs at every product that lacks U.S. clearance.
Shown: Tipmed, a Purple inline booth
See 10×20 rental booths →
A diagnostic device in the first bay, a wet lab station on synthetic eyes in the second, and a small table for a practice administrator in the third, with nothing above 8 feet.
Shown: Optinova, a Purple inline booth
See 10×30 rental booths →
An island with a hanging sign under the 25-foot branded limit, a laser demo bay with a beam stop and controlled access, and two counters set at least 3 feet in from the aisle.
Shown: Pixee, a Purple island exhibit
See 20×20 rental booths →
A seated presentation area 5 feet in from every aisle, separate surgical and diagnostic zones, wet lab stations with sharps disposal, and a meeting room kept under half the length of its side.
Shown: Olon / Infa Group, a Purple large-format exhibit
See 20×30 rental booths →In Purple's price
- Design and a 3D rendering, revised until it is right
- Structure, printed graphics, counters and storage as specified
- Lighting and power distribution inside the booth
- Installation and dismantle, with our project manager on the floor
- Every show-service order and deadline tracked for you
Billed by the show and its contractor
- Booth space (paid to the organizer)
- Material handling / drayage, where the space rate does not include it
- Electrical service, internet and rigging
- Booth cleaning and any union labor the venue requires
Rates to plan with for AAO Annual Meeting:
- Booth space, linear $4,000 per 10×10, $8,000 per 10×20, 2026 prospectus source
- Booth space, island $40 per net sq ft, 2026 prospectus source
- Business suites $6,855 for 10×10 to $25,200 for 20×30, 2026 prospectus source
- Material handling $1.27 per lb, $1.59 after the warehouse deadline, 2026 New Orleans rate source
We estimate every one of these on your proposal, so the total is on paper before you sign.
Prices are all-in 2026 rental ranges for design, structure, graphics, installation and dismantle; custom builds are quoted per project. Get an exact number for AAO Annual Meeting with the booth cost calculator or read the 2026 booth cost guide.
Send the show, your booth size and what the space needs to do. We reply within one business day and send a rendering and a fixed proposal, usually within a week. No charge.
Your team walks into a lit, stocked booth. You just show up.
03 Built by Purple
Booths we have designed, built and installed
Case study · Pixee Medical
Pixee Medical at a medical technology congress
A focused, demo-first booth for augmented-reality surgical guidance, built so every visitor could try the technology while traffic kept moving.
Pixee Medical needed every surgeon to try its augmented-reality guidance without stalling the aisle, the same problem an AAO laser or wet lab bay faces at peak Expo hours.
Read the Pixee Medical case study All case studies →“We were very happy with the experience and with the support provided throughout the project. The booth looked great, the coordination process was smooth, and everything was handled professionally, which made the event much easier for our team.”
Miriam Valdes, Communications Manager, INdermal · more client reviews
Trusted by exhibitors including
04 Designing for ophthalmic diagnostic, surgical, laser, lens, pharmaceutical and practice software companies at AAO Annual Meeting
Four things we get right for AAO Annual Meeting exhibitors
1Build the laser bay for inspection
Under the 2026 rules, every laser or hazardous light source on the floor is filed on the Laser and Light Safety Form and inspected by the Academy's Laser and Light Safety Working Group the evening before opening, running as it will during Expo hours. We design the bay with beam termination, an enclosure and live power ready for that inspection.
Wet lab stations count fruit too
At AAO a phaco demo on a silicone eye, or even on a grape, is a wet lab just as a tissue demo is, and only physicians may take part (2026 rules). Tissue labs also pay the Academy's waste contractor $300 for one to four stations. We build stations with washable tops, sharps storage and a check-in point for badges.
Two audiences, one status sign
More than a quarter of AAO 2025's physicians came from outside the United States, and the Academy lets companies sell uncleared products to non-U.S. doctors only. We print FDA status lines beside each product and on any graphic that shows it, and keep U.S. and international sales tables apart.
Islands under the 50 percent rule
AAO caps meeting rooms, storage and video walls in islands under 4,900 square feet at half the length of the side they sit on, with see-through areas, and hanging signs at 50 percent of the aisle-facing dimension (2026 rules). We plan the private room and the LED wall to those fractions from the first sketch.
Concept rendering
Every proposal comes with a rendering like this
You see the booth in 3D before we cut a single panel: layout, graphics, lighting and product positions, revised until it is right. Shown: a Purple concept for Purple AI.
Start my AAO Annual Meeting concept05 Venetian Expo · Las Vegas
Logistics for AAO Annual Meeting 2027, handled
The Venetian Expo is a resort-owned building where Teamsters Local 631 runs material handling and forklifts and IATSE Local 720 handles rigging and AV, while the venue keeps rigging, electrical, internet, cleaning, catering and security as its own exclusive services. All freight comes in through the Koval Lane docks, and anything on an upper level rides the freight elevators, so we size crates to the cars and ship to the advance warehouse first. Freeman was AAO's general service contractor in 2026. We file the EDC authorization and insurance with the Academy, keep empties out of hotel space, and our Las Vegas shop, about fifteen minutes away, covers overnight reprints.
Hall rules, drayage estimates and freight deadlines for this building are in our Venetian Expo exhibitor guide.
Hall guide
The Venetian Expo stacks its exhibit halls on two levels joined by escalators and freight elevators, and the level a booth lands on changes ceiling height, power and crate size.
Hall A alone is 178,000 square feet with a 32-foot-5-inch ceiling, ceiling-drop power and a 250-pound-per-square-foot floor load, and it joins Hall B by airwall, with Halls C and D added through B.
Our advice: Room for a 25-foot hanging sign and tall LED walls; Hall A also has a 50-by-20-foot drive-in door, so the freight plan for this level depends on whether crates arrive by that door or by freight elevator.
The venue's largest hall at 380,000 square feet, with a 13-foot-5-inch ceiling, 426 round columns 30 feet apart, power from the columns and unlimited floor load.
Our advice: Under that ceiling we keep islands low and bright, place heavy surgical platforms here without floor worries, and plan the layout around the column grid.
Every truck enters through the docks off Koval Lane behind the resort, and freight bound for upper levels waits for the freight elevators.
Our advice: We ship to the advance warehouse by default so your crates are on the booth before your crew arrives, rather than queued at a single dock.
What Purple handles
- EDC authorization, certificate of insurance and onsite contact form filed with the Academy
- Laser and Light Safety Form and a laser bay ready for the evening inspection
- Wet lab request, station build and sharps containers
- FDA status signs printed on counters and graphics
- Venetian electrical, rigging and internet orders at advance rates
- Setup and teardown run by our project manager with our Las Vegas crew
Timeline, counted back from move-in
We need design sign-off by late August 2027.
- Early 2027AAO posts its 2027 exhibit information; we plan booth size against your priority points and, if you pay in full with the application, the two bonus points it earns.
- Late August 2027Design sign-off; island drawings, hanging sign plan and any laser or wet lab layout ready for the Academy's approval forms.
- September to October 2027Production in Fishkill, NY: counters at exam height, laser enclosures, fabric graphics and status signs built; final checks at our Las Vegas shop.
- About 3 weeks before move-inCrates and any hanging sign ship to the advance warehouse; electrical, rigging and internet ordered from the Venetian at advance rates.
- Days before November 13Move-in at your freight target time; our project manager and Las Vegas crew install, then stand by for the laser inspection.
- November 13–15, 2027The Expo runs Saturday to Monday; after Monday's close we dismantle and send the booth to storage or your next show.
Purple planning timeline. Official move-in, freight target and order deadlines come from your exhibitor kit and assigned schedule; we confirm them against your booth when you book.
Printable budget & deadline sheetTravel to AAO Annual Meeting 2027
Getting to AAO Annual Meeting 2027: airport and hotels
Fly in
Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
About two miles from the Las Vegas Strip, per the Academy's AAO 2027 page
Stay
Expovision, the Academy's official hotel reservation provider for exhibitors
Travel facts from aao.org.
AAO Annual Meeting by the numbers
AAO Annual Meeting year by year
How AAO Annual Meeting 2027 compares with other medical devices shows
The medical devices shows closest to AAO Annual Meeting on the calendar, with the latest size each organizer has published. Each name opens our exhibitor guide for that show.
| Show | Dates | City | Latest published size |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACS Clinical CongressAmerican College of Surgeons | October 16–19, 2027 | San Diego, CA | 10,559 in-person attendees · 160+ companies (2025) |
| HLTH USAHLTH | October 17–20, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 12,250+ attendees · 950+ sponsors and exhibitors (2025) |
| TCTCardiovascular Research Foundation (CRF) | October 18–21, 2027 | San Francisco, CA | 100+ exhibitors (2026) |
| CNS Annual MeetingCongress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) | October 23–27, 2027 | Phoenix, AZ | 5,300+ registrants attendees (2024) |
| ACEP Scientific AssemblyAmerican College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) | October 25–28, 2027 | Boston, MA | 250+ companies (2026) |
| ASN Kidney WeekAmerican Society of Nephrology (ASN) | October 27–31, 2027 | San Diego, CA | 11,981 attendees · 180 companies (2025) |
| AHA Scientific SessionsAmerican Heart Association | November 5–8, 2027 | Boston, MA | 12,700+ attendees (2025) |
| AMP Annual Meeting & ExpoAssociation for Molecular Pathology (AMP) | November 9–13, 2027 | Baltimore, MD | 3,100+ AMP members, per its 2026 exhibitor site |
| AAO Annual MeetingAmerican Academy of Ophthalmology | November 12–15, 2027 | Las Vegas, NV | 16,085 total attendees · 490 exhibitors (2025) |
| RSNARadiological Society of North America (RSNA) | November 14–18, 2027 | Chicago, IL | Nearly 38,000 registrants attendees · 720 exhibitors (2025) |
AAO Annual Meeting exhibitor questions
Questions exhibitors ask us before AAO Annual Meeting
How much does a booth at AAO 2027 cost?
Two bills make up the total. Space from the Academy ran $4,000 per linear 10×10 and $40 per square foot for islands in 2026, so a 20×20 island cost $16,000 before any build. The booth itself runs $7,500 to $15,000 for a 10×20 rental, or $50,000 to $120,000 for a custom 20×20; laser enclosures, imaging monitors and wet lab stations move it most.
When do we need to decide on an AAO 2027 booth?
Before space selection. The Academy says AAO 2027 Expo details arrive in the new year, and space is assigned once deposits arrive, in priority-point order. In 2026 island drawings were due July 31 and the laser, wet lab and uncleared-product forms on August 28, so we ask for design sign-off by late August 2027.
Can we rent a booth for AAO, and what does a rental include?
Our AAO rentals bring the frame, fabric graphics with your status lines printed in, LED lighting, counters at exam-instrument height, lockable storage and carpet cut to the standard 9×10-foot covering AAO required in 2026, with shipping, setup and teardown priced together on a fixed proposal. Because it ships from our Las Vegas shop, a rental here travels across town.
Can our own staff set up our booth at the Venetian Expo?
Small displays, often. Full-time employees can usually assemble a simple booth with hand tools at the Venetian, but forklifts and freight belong to Teamsters Local 631, and rigging, power and internet are venue exclusives. Any outside installer must be named on the Academy's EDC authorization with its insurance on file, which is the paperwork we file for you.
Can we demonstrate lasers at AAO?
Yes, with paperwork and an inspection. Under the 2026 rules each laser or hazardous light source is filed on the Laser and Light Safety Form and inspected by the Laser and Light Safety Working Group, running as it will be on the floor, with your responsible person present. A system without regulatory approval also needs a laser safety professional's written analysis.
What does material handling cost at AAO, and who pays it?
You do, by the pound. Freeman billed $1.27 per pound for warehouse or direct freight at AAO 2026 in New Orleans and $1.59 after the warehouse deadline, with packages of 10 pounds or less free. The 2027 Las Vegas rate comes with the exhibitor kit, so each crate is weighed in Fishkill and the handling figure gets its own proposal line.
Can we hang a sign over our AAO booth?
Only over an island. Linear booths at AAO stop at 8 feet with no hanging signs. On an island the branded top can reach 25 feet from the floor, each face stays within 8 feet tall, and its length stays within half the booth side it faces (2026 rules). We engineer the sign and order the venue's rigging.
Can we reuse our AAO booth at other eye care shows?
We build the walls and counters to reconfigure, so an AAO island can step down to a 10×20 for the ASCRS Annual Meeting, travel to ARVO with research graphics or follow you to Optometry's Meeting. Between shows we store it at our Las Vegas hub, which saves a freight leg whenever your next show is in Las Vegas.
We already own a booth. Can you refresh and install it at AAO?
We can. We inspect the structure, repair or replace worn parts, reprint graphics with current FDA status lines, and refit counters for the device you are launching. From there it travels to the advance warehouse and goes up at the Venetian under our project manager, and we store it in Las Vegas afterward if that suits your calendar.
When is AAO 2027?
AAO 2027 runs Friday, November 12 to Monday, November 15, 2027, in Las Vegas. Subspecialty Day takes November 12–13, and the Expo opens Saturday, November 13 and runs through Monday, November 15. The AAOE Practice Management and AAOP Clinical Teams programs run all four days of the meeting.
Where is AAO 2027 held?
At the Venetian Expo, 201 Sands Avenue, Las Vegas, connected to the Venetian resort. The Academy notes that Harry Reid International Airport sits about two miles from the Strip. Expovision is its official hotel provider for exhibitors, and the meeting moves to McCormick Place in Chicago in 2028.
How many people attend the AAO Annual Meeting?
The Academy counted 16,085 in total at AAO 2025 in Orlando: 4,826 U.S. physicians, 2,403 international physicians, 1,686 health professionals, 1,086 guests and 6,084 exhibitor staff, with 490 exhibiting companies. Chicago in 2024 drew 16,543 with 485 companies, and San Francisco in 2023 drew 15,775 with 450.
Is AAO open to the public?
No. AAO is a professional meeting for ophthalmologists and eye care teams, and everyone on the floor wears an Academy-issued badge that matches their photo ID. Exhibitor badges come at five per 100 square feet of space, and optometrists employed by an exhibitor may staff the booth but cannot attend the program.
How do I get a booth at AAO 2027?
Returning companies apply through the Academy's exhibitor portal with a 50% deposit, and space is assigned by priority points and relevance rating. A company new to AAO first submits its products, website and sales materials for approval, and exhibits are limited to ophthalmology and medical products; cosmetic products are no longer accepted.
Before you sign with anyone
Five questions to ask any exhibit builder for AAO Annual Meeting:
- Is every fee on the proposal, including what the show contractor bills?
- Who builds the booth: your own shop or a subcontractor?
- Will your project manager be on the floor for install and dismantle?
- What exactly is in the rental, and what is billed by the show?
- Where does the booth go after the show, and what does storage cost?
Common situations
Already own a booth? We refresh the graphics, repair what is worn, ship it, install it and store it between shows. You keep the structure you paid for.
Exhibiting from outside the US? We are your team on the ground: freight to the advance warehouse, show-service orders, installation and storage, with one project manager answering your emails in your time zone.
Short on time? A rental with your graphics can be ready in two to three weeks. We tell you on the first call what is realistic for your date.
Get a proposal
Tell us about your AAO Annual Meeting booth
What happens next
- We reply within one business day with questions about your products, goals and footprint.
- You get a concept rendering and a fixed proposal, usually within a week. Every last fee listed upfront, in full, on paper.
- We build in 30–45 days, ship to the advance warehouse and install before the hall opens.